The delay in completing three Public Housing Projects (PPR) in Sabah has affected the target group from enjoying its benefits on time, according to the Auditor-General's Report 2014 Series 1.

The three projects are Pekan Kinarut PPR in Papar; Kampung Semarak PPR in Tawau and Lintas Sabuga PPR in Sandakan involving 1,725 units at a cost of RM140.99 million.

"Those three projects were completed with an extension of time (EOT), between 624 and 2,504 days.

"However the EOT approval resulted in delays in completing the projects and providing benefits to the target group since a project took more than six years from the original date of completion," said the report which was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat, here today.

Besides that, the quality of work done by the contractors is unsatisfactory, but corrective action has been done after the auditor's visit and the observation report issued.

According to the report, some of the construction design approved by the superintending officer and executed by the contractor were impractical, incomplete and inappropriate.

"The tenant selection and the house fulfillment process conducted by the Sabah Local Government and Housing Ministry (KKTP) and related local authorities (PBT) was unsatisfactory for Pekan Kinarut and Taman Semarak projects.

"This was because the house fulfillment process was delayed and took over a year each from the date the National Housing Department (JPN) handed over the completed housing projects, 569 days for Pekan Kinarut PPR and 485 days for Taman Semarak PPR," the report said.

The report recommended that Sabah and Sarawak region (WSS) and the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) monitored and supervised the progress of work done by all contractors in order to ensure quality of work.

It also proposed JPN to refine all projects specification and designs in order to avoid further incomplete, inappropriate or impractical specifications resulting in additional government expenses.

JPN and KPKT should always improve coordination with related utilities agencies to avoid delay in completion of the project.

The Sabah KKTP and PBT must continue to implement the tenant selection process and finalise the list earlier to enable immediate occupation by tenants right after the submission of PPR by the JPN.

"KKTP Sabah and PBT also need to improve the period to finalise the tenant list to avoid negative perception from the public against services provided by the government," it said.